Television receiver cabinet including device for isolating antenna



R. s. JOSEPH ETAL.

3,33 7,280 FOR 5 M6 Nw m t me o Md 0e u F Aug. 22, 1-967 TELEVISION RECEIVER CABINET INCLUDING DEVICE INVENTORS RAYMOND S. JOSEPH,

DONALD F. BUELL THEIR ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3 337,280 TELEVISION RECEIlER CABINET INCLUDING DEVICE FOR ISOLATING ANTENNA Raymond S. Joseph, Syracuse, and Donald F. Buell,

Baldwinsville, N.Y., assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,088 4 Claims. (Cl. 312-7) The present invention relates to television receivers and more specifically to an improved cabinet including a device for isolating the telescoping antenna of such a receiver.

It is desirable in many applications to utilize antennas of the familiar telescoping variety in conjunction with television receivers. Such telescoping antennas can be either of the dipole or monopole variety. It is further desirable that such antennas be retractable for storage within the receiver cabinet when not in use.

However, it becomes mandatory for compliance with safety standards to isolate a telescoping antenna retractable in this fashion from the various electronic components within the cabinet.

In the past the necessary isolation has generally been achieved through the use of an insulative flexible sleeve positioned within the cabinet, the antenna being received by the sleeve upon retraction. However, such an approach is both relatively expensive and unless special steps are taken allows some transverse movement of the retracted or partially retracted antenna to the extent that damage to various electronic components might result.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a device for isolating the telescoping antenna of a television receiver which is less expensive that prior art devices.

A further object is to provide a device for isolating the telescoping antenna of a television receiver whereby the transverse motion of a retracted or partially retracted antenna is restricted to prevent damage to the electronic components of the receiver.

These and other objects are achieved in the invention through the use of a cabinet including an inwardly extending chamber molded integrally therewith and comprising first and second spaced side wall portions and a transverse bottom portion. The side wall portions are provided with a plurality of inwardly extending tabs. A chamber closure member is provided having a plurality of tab receiving apertures, the side wall tabs being received by the apertures and then heat deformed to secure the closure member to the side walls. In this manner a chamber is provided which receives the antenna in the retracted position, the chamber both electrically isolating the antenna and restraining transverse motion of the retracted end of the antenna in a reliable and inexpensive fashion.

The novel and distinctive features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of the device of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the device shown in FIGURE 1.

Referring to FIGURE 1 there is shown a chamber 1 in accordance with the invention molded integrally with a plastic television receiver cabinet 3. The cabinet 3 and 3,337,280 Patented Aug. 22, 1967 the integral chamber 1 are preferably injection molded from a thermo-plastic material such as styrene and the chamber is preferably positioned on the side or rear wall of the cabinet.

The chamber 1 comprises a pair of generally identical inwardly extending side wall portions 5 and an integral transverse bottom portion 7.

The wall portions 5 are provided with a plurality of inwardly extending tabs and are flared at the tops 11 to facilitate the receiving of the antenna by the chamber 1.

A chamber closure member 13 is provided, the closure member 13 including a plurality of apertures 15 adapted to receive the tabs 9 of the side wall portions 5. and preferably being formed from a vulcanized fibre material commonly referred to as fish paper. The top 17 of the closure member 13 can if desired be shaped to conform to the flared tops 11 of the side wall portions as shown.

Referring to FIGURE 2 there is shown a cross sectional view of the chamber of FIGURE 1 with the closure member 13 assembled thereto and a telescoping antenna 19 received thereby. As depicted the tabs 9 are received by the apertures 15 in the closure member 13, the tabs 9 then being heat deformed to secure the closure member to the side wall portions 5.

The telescoping antenna 19 is axially retractable in the direction of the arrow 20 in a conventional fashion through an aperture 21 in the top 23 of the cabinet. A suitable mounting bracket (not shown) is associated with the antenna 19 to prevent complete withdrawal of the antenna from the cabinet and to allow pivoting of the antenna to a desired angular position. When the extended antenna 19 is retracted, the end of the antenna is received by the chamber 1, the flared top portions 11 of the side wall portions 5 serving as a guide to facilitate the initial entry of the end of the antenna into the chamber.

In this manner, the telescoping antenna 19 is isolated in reliable and inexpensive fashion from the various electronic components in the cabinet, the chamber further serving to restrain transverse motion of the retracted or partially retracted antenna 19 in the direction indicated by arrow 25.

Although the invention has been described with respect to a specific embodiment it will be appreciated that modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. In particular, although a monopole antenna has been depicted for purposes of illustration it will be appreciated that the device of the invention finds application in conjunction with dipole telescoping antennas as well.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. -A plastic cabinet for a television receiver having a telescoping antenna adapted to be retracted therein, said cabinet including:

(a) an inwardly extending chamber molded integrally with said cabinet and including first and second spaced side wall portions and a bottom portion,

(b) said side wall portions being provided with a pll1 rality of inwardly extending tabs,

(c) a closure member for said chamber having a plurality of tab receiving apertures therein,

((1) said tabs being received by said apertures to secure said closure member to said side wall portions, and

(e) said chamber receiving said antenna in the retracted position.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said tabs are heat deformable to secure said'closure member to said side wall portions.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said chamber is positioned on a Wall of said cabinet.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said closure member is formed from a vulcanized fibre material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,666,652 4/1928 Hiering 22020 Levy 3123 1.3 Bayuk 312 -31.3

Suthann 312-7 X Schlabach 264249 Foster 343702 Spirt 343-402 X Taylor 343-785 10 CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PLASTIC CABINET FOR A TELEVISION RECEIVER HAVING A TELESCOPING ANTENNA ADAPTED TO BE RETRACTED THEREIN, SAID CABINET INCLUDING: (A) AN INWARDLY EXTENDING CHAMBER MOLDED INTEGRALLY WITH SAID CABINET AND INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND SPACED SIDE WALL PORTIONS AND A BOTTOM PORTION, (B) SAID SIDE WALL PORTIONS BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURIALITY OF INWARDLY EXTENDING TABS, (C) A CLOSURE MEMBER FOR SAID CHAMBER HAVING A PLURIALITY OF TAB RECEIVING APERTURES THEREIN, (D) SAID TABS BEING RECEIVED BY SAID APERTURES TO SECURE SAID CLOSURE MEMBER TO SAID SIDE WALL PORTIONS, AND (E) SAID CHAMBER RECEIVING SAID ANTENNA IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. 